35 No-Bake Desserts to Add to Your Summer Lineup
Strawberry Icebox Cake
Recipe: Strawberry Icebox Cake
Busy hostesses rejoice: You can still put a picture-perfect dessert on the table without turning the oven on.
Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
Recipe: Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
Be prepared for sugar-crazed hysteria when the kids see this fun summertime treat.
Strawberry Cheesecake Salad
Recipe: Strawberry Cheesecake Salad
Graham crackers add a bit of crunch to this deconstructed strawberry cheesecake dish.
Cherries-and-Cream Icebox Cake
Recipe: Cherries-and-Cream Icebox Cake
No oven is required to pull together this layered cherry cake.
Homemade Cookies-and-Cream Ice Cream
Recipe: Homemade Cookies-and-Cream Ice Cream
You'll need just five ingredients to make our homemade cookies-and-cream ice cream.
Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
Recipe: Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
Love the flavors of strawberry cheesecake but don't have the time to make one? Go for these no-bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bites instead. The centers of each berry is hulled out, and then stuffed with a delicately sweet cheesecake filling. A crunch comes from crumbs of graham crackers.
No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
Recipe: No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
This lemony treat is perfect for summertime when turning your stove on is the last thing you want to do. This recipe swaps out classic crust for gingersnap, adding a little spice.
Mascarpone Cheesecake
Recipe: Mascarpone Cheesecake
A bite of this berry cheesecake will melt in your mouth, even though it's frozen. The recipe calls for blueberries and raspberries, but feel free to substitute with your favorite berries.
Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake
Recipe: Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake
We combined two Southern favorites—strawberry cake and banana pudding—into a cool and creamy icebox cake that's perfect for hot summer days.
Cookie Dough Fudge
Recipes: Cookie Dough Fudge
If you're often tempted to take a bite (or two) of unsafe-to-eat cookie dough, this fudge recipe is for you.
Peach Icebox Cake
Recipe: Peach Icebox Cake
We'll take any reason to use up our fresh summer peaches, but especially one that's also no-bake, like this beauty.
Caramel Pecan Icebox Cake
Recipe: Caramel Pecan Icebox Cake
Instead of the oven, let the refrigerator do all the work with this icebox cake recipe.
Sea Salt Ice Cream
Recipe: Sea Salt Ice Cream
This ice cream is for those who love to mix salty and sweet flavors.
No-Bake Peanut Butter-Fudge Ice-Cream Pie
Recipe: No-Bake Peanut Butter-Fudge Ice-Cream Pie
Say hello to your new favorite no-bake dessert. From the creamy filling to the crunchy crust, this mile-high peanut butter pie is nothing to be messed with.
Lemon Tiramisu
Recipe: Lemon Tiramisu
You can think of this recipe as a combination of lemon cheesecake and tiramisu.
Pineapple Ice Cream
Recipe: Pineapple Ice Cream
This four-ingredient recipe couldn't be prettier or easier. It's a little dressier than a plain bowl of ice cream and bursting with the flavors of the season.
Mamie Eisenhower's Chocolate Fudge
Recipe: Mamie Eisenhower's Chocolate Fudge
We recommend making this fudge the day before serving so it has time to set and become firm overnight.
Triple-Chocolate Milkshake
Recipe: Triple-Chocolate Milkshake
You might think you already know how to make a chocolate milkshake (and, chances are, you do) but ours takes a special combination of classic ingredients and blends them to perfection.
Key Lime Icebox Cake
Recipe: Key Lime Icebox Cake
This layered, limey dream makes a fitting dessert for the summer cookout.
S'mores Pie
Recipe: S'mores Pie
We turned the classic campfire treat into a dessert you can make in the kitchen.
Strawberry Icebox Cake
Recipe: Strawberry Icebox Cake
Homemade whipped cream pairs perfectly with store-bought chocolate wafers in this mile-high cake.
Strawberry Lemonade Pie
Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade Pie
Even better: We made this recipe using store-bought ingredients. Because sometimes, it's too hot to bake or make from scratch. The end result is bright, sweet, and relentlessly refreshing.
Chewy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars
Recipe: Chewy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars
Let the microwave do the work in this rich dessert that reminds us of blondies.
Putt's Butter Pecan Sundae
Recipe: Putt's Butter Pecan Sundae
There's nothing like a family recipe for rich, creamy butter pecan ice cream sundaes. You're welcome.
Bourbon Ice Cream Float
Recipe: Bourbon Ice Cream Float
Give your classic Coke float an adult-friendly party twist. Leave out the bourbon to make the old-fashioned treat friendly for kids, too.
Red, White, and Blue Popsicles
Recipe: Red, White, and Blue Popsicles
If you remember chasing after the ice cream truck to snag one of these festive pops, it's time to make your own.
Chocolate Lasagna
Recipe: Chocolate Lasagna
This dessert lasagna will wow all the chocolate lovers in your family. Top it off with airy whipped cream and chocolate chips.
Chicory Ice Cream
Recipe: Chicory Ice Cream
A New Orleans favorite is transformed into a dessert delicacy that you'll want to eat all summer long.
Buttermilk-Peach Popsicles
Recipe: Buttermilk-Peach Popsicles
Use overripe or less-than-perfect peaches for this delicious popsicle recipe. The buttermilk is the secret ingredient that makes these popsicles stand out.
Key Lime Ice-Cream Pie
Recipe: Key Lime Ice-Cream Pie
If it's possible to make classic Key lime pie even more summer-worthy, we did it. This frozen ice-cream pie tastes like vacation.
Rebecca's Black Bottom Icebox Pie
Recipe: Rebecca's Black Bottom Icebox Pie
By "black bottom," we mean a decadent chocolate wafer crust. That's enough to sell us on this no-bake chocolate dessert.
Coconut-Banana Pudding
Recipe: Coconut-Banana Pudding
This recipe puts the slightest twist on a Southern classic—and it makes such a difference. Just a pinch of coconut extract makes your favorite old-fashioned dessert more exciting for summer.
Blueberry-Cheesecake Ice-Cream Pie
Recipe: Blueberry-Cheesecake Ice-Cream Pie
A slice of this fruity pie is the perfect treat for summer in the South.
Avocado-Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
Recipe: Avocado-Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
Avocados make this key lime ice cream extra creamy and rich.
Millionaire Pie
Recipe: Millionaire Pie
If you haven't heard of this slightly gelatinous Southern pie, please let us introduce you.
Hot Chocolate Icebox Pie
Recipe: Hot Chocolate Icebox Pie
While hot chocolate is a staple in everyone's winter diet, add it in to your summer one with this delicious and cool pie.
Summer in the South can be described in two words: hot and humid. How many times have we heard the saying, "It's not the heat that gets you. It's the humidity," and nodded in agreement, as you fan your face with your hand? Enough times to know that the last thing we want to do on a hot summer's day is turn on the oven, especially when the AC is already working on overdrive as it is. (Not to mention, our cakes and candies don't always cooperate when the humidity level is high.) That's where these easy no-bake desserts come in handy.
Since giving up sweets just isn't an option, we'd rather combat the dog days of summer with icebox cakes, ice cream pies, and homemade sundaes. We're making use of all the freshest fruits that summer has to offer, and we're recreating old-fashioned treats with a no-bake twist. Instead of the oven, these recipes rely on the microwave, refrigerator, and freezer to help them come together. Check out our best no-bake desserts to add to your summer lineup.